Why reencode at all?
I mean if the goal is to simply remove the audio, why not keep the video stream untouched and simply remux?
(btw. cropping = removing parts of the image, for example black borders)

Why reencode at all?
I mean if the goal is to simply remove the audio, why not keep the video stream untouched and simply remux?
(btw. cropping = removing parts of the image, for example black borders)

I need to crop the video a bit, and the VSDC re-encodes the video after it edits it...

If it doesn't have bitrate settings, then how about size? Are there any settings that allow you to choose the size? If so, try and make it roughly the size of the original, maybe a bit smaller. There has to be something.

The image looks blurry because the image is blurry. It was shot out of focus. When you digitally zoom in on an already blurry image -- which is what you are effectively doing by cropping off the sides -- the blur becomes more obvious.

Probably you are shooting too close for the camera to focus properly. Also, because of the nature of the gems, the camera's autofocus and autoexposure are continuously responding to light refraction which doesn't help you at all. You need manual control of your camera and a longer lens.

For closeup of very small objects one usually uses shorter focal length lenses with macro focusing capability. Longer lenses don't usually focus as close. The camera's focusing system also has a lot to do with this kind of shooting.

Whether you use a macro lens and move in closer or a longer lens and move back further, there are multiple ways to skin this cat. (I would take issue with the word "usually.") The camera's focusing system type is secondary to the operator knowing how to use it.

The major issue here occurs before the mediocre editing software, and all the bitrate in the world won't fix it. It would still be blurry uncompressed.